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Chapter 67: Interview (1)
After the trials concluded, the scenery shifted abruptly, and both Seo Yerim and Kim Minwoo found themselves back in the hospital room.
They both spoke at once.
“Did you get an archer skill book…”
After a brief pause, Seo Yerim nodded.
“Yes, I got an SSS-rank archer skill book. Where did you go, Minwoo?”
“I took some trials, but not the kind involving a job change. It seems there’s a way to take tests if you have a sponsorship certificate.”
“A sponsorship certificate? Did that angel help you with it?”
“Sort of. It’s something like that. You need a special certificate to take the trials.”
“Oh. Then I guess I can’t do that.”
It was understandable.
Now that she had become an archer, her goal was to get stronger and earn her grandfather’s recognition.
“There might be a way.”
“Yes, but it might take a few months.”
He had obtained a Celestial City travel pass, which seemed to be a location for higher-level trials.
If he could find more sponsorship certificates there, it could be an opportunity for Seo Yerim to take the trials as well.
The travel pass required level 300 to enter, which meant it would take some time before he could use it.
But he figured it might be worth the wait, especially considering the connections with Sword Saint and other prominent figures.
“Do you want to get stronger?”
“Then why not join our guild?”
“The… the Guild Money Talks?”
“Yes, it’s a prestigious guild that only accepts world-class talents. You don’t have a guild yet, right?”
“Then join us. We take care of our members.”
An SSS-rank archer was a valuable asset.
She would undoubtedly become more valuable over time, and having her in the guild would elevate its prestige.
Besides, the name “Seo Yerim” could carry weight not only in South Korea but also worldwide.
“Do I have to do guild activities and stuff?”
“Nope. I don’t do those either. Too much hassle.”
That seemed to ease her concern.
He wasn’t a fan of guild politics or mandatory activities, so he made it clear that joining his guild wouldn’t require her to participate in anything she didn’t want to.
Necromancers are solo players by nature.
They don’t typically engage in party play unless there’s a specific reason to.
Seo Yerim, noticing this, tilted her head in curiosity.
“If the guild doesn’t do group activities, what’s the point?”.
Minwoo opened his phone and showed her the guild’s group chat.
―Glad to see you back from the gate! I was really worried. You okay?
(emoticon of someone sweating and chewing their thumb)
“It’s more of a community. We help each other when needed. It’s about supporting one another, not about mandatory group activities.”
“We have good benefits too.”
“Didn’t I just change your job for you? Do you think that’s a one-time thing?”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve been wondering…”
“It’s . I have a sort of shop where I can acquire things using a different resource instead of money.”
“That’s how you got the job change coupon?”
“Yes, and that’s why I’m suggesting you join. So, what do you think?”
“Welcome to the guild.”
“Join our group chat. Oh, and you should probably learn from the skill book.”.
“Right, the SSS-rank skill book.”
As she used the skill book, a brilliant flash of light filled the room.
● The fate of ‘Seo Yerim’—one of the main characters—has significantly changed!
● Achievement points have been awarded!
● You have an Achievement Vending Machine! Your points are doubled!
Minwoo checked the achievement shop to see how many points he received.
It jumped from 0 to 100.
Only 50 points doubled to 100?
It didn’t seem right.
Convincing her to practice with a bow had earned 200 points, but unlocking her full archer potential only earned 50?
The math didn’t add up.
Combining both actions should’ve granted at least 300 points, the same as when he awakened Park Siwoo.
Was it merely a coincidence, or was there something else at play?
He couldn’t do much about the points he had received, so he turned to Seo Yerim.
“Anything interesting?”
[Seo Yerim is sharing her skill window!]
[Divine Archer Epherin (SSS)]
[Effect 1: Summons a divine bow. The bow grows stronger alongside its owner.]
[Effect 2: Holding the bow grants significant bonuses.]
[Effect 3: Fires magical arrows. Each arrow has a random elemental attribute.]
[Effect 4: Can declare a ‘Killing Zone’ in a specified area.]
These were powerful abilities.
Each skill offered versatility and significant advantages, proving that the skill book was well worth it.
Minwoo could only imagine the impact this would have on her future as an archer.
A bow materialized in Seo Yerim’s hand.
It resembled Park Siwoo’s divine sword, which was also a unique skill-based weapon.
‘Is there some connection?’
Or was it just a coincidence?
The answer wasn’t immediately clear.
“Do you know what this is?”
She blinked her eyes shortly after.
For a moment, she alternated her gaze between the bow and Kim Minwoo.
“…What is Death Lord?”
Minwoo summoned Cedric, his skeleton servant, to help identify the bow.
“Do you happen to know what that weapon is too?”
Cedric, who had been staring at Seo Yerim’s bow, nodded his head.
—It’s the Divine Bow Epherin, isn’t it?
Seo Yerim’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How do you know the name of my skill?”
Cedric looked at Minwoo, then back at Seo Yerim, explaining,
―Because the guy in the master’s guild also had a weapon similar to yours.
—Holy sword. That sword was designed to oppose my former master, the Death Lord. This bow, Epherin, is similar.
Seo Yerim looked puzzled.
“Why would my bow and the divine sword be connected to your former master?”
—They were part of a party.
—The so-called hero party.
—Yeah. My former master was a formidable undead. They formed a party to stop him. In the end, they couldn’t stop him.
Minwoo found the story intriguing.
The concept of a hero party fighting against a Death Lord seemed straight out of a fantasy tale.
Park Siwoo’s divine sword and Seo Yerim’s divine bow were both weapons designed to oppose the Death Lord.
Could this be mere coincidence?
Something seemed to be guiding these connections.
“Do you think your master’s influence is involved in this?”
Cedric shook his head.
—No, even the Death Lord couldn’t control the weapons of a hero party. It must be something else.
If not the Death Lord, then someone or something else was pulling the strings.
Minwoo remembered Jiphael, the angel, mentioning a higher power she was reluctant to name.
Perhaps this unknown entity was the one orchestrating these connections.
What was the purpose of linking these hero party weapons to Minwoo and Seo Yerim?
Was it to challenge them, or was there another reason?
‘The Death Lord wouldn’t have discounted a job change coupon by 99% or pulled someone into a re-examination.’
The support from Jiphael and the sudden appearance of these powerful weapons suggested a different intention.
If this unknown entity was indeed guiding these events, what was their ultimate goal?
It seemed like there were still many unanswered questions, and Minwoo was determined to uncover the truth.
‘All of this, is it really just coincidence?’
It felt like someone—or something—was helping him and his allies in a big way.
It didn’t seem like the kind of situation where a betrayal was in the cards.
‘Would there be any reason to backstab us?’
He couldn’t find one.
‘If someone is helping us, what’s the gain?’
Why attach the hero party’s weapons to the Death Lord’s heir?
Could there be some synergy, or was it just random?
The answers eluded him.
“How many were in the hero party, Cedric?”
—Four. There was a warrior, archer, mage, and assassin.
Swordsmanship genius Park Siwoo.
Magic Genius Han Siah.
Archery Genius Seo Yerim.
And Namgoong Min, that last guy.
‘He was born with a talent for assassination.’
The four main characters, all gathered in one place on the 6-star difficulty level.
And a four-member hero party as well.
Each had skills or talents aligning with the hero party’s composition.
It seemed likely that these characters would eventually obtain legendary weapons.
‘If I need more achievement points, I’ll need to reach out to Han Siah and Namgoong Min.’
It felt like someone was orchestrating a grand plan.
‘The great presence. Was it the same one I encountered during the awakening ceremony?
A thought suddenly came to his mind.
Right after sparring with the Sword Saint for the achievement.
The beings he saw when he passed out.
[The entities within the scene have detected an anomaly!]
That was the message that appeared at that time.
After that, He saw the phrase ‘You have opened the horizon.’
‘That led me to the Achievement Shop.’
It was because of the Achievement Shop that He approached the main characters, and as a result, the main characters obtained the weapons of the hero party.
The four entities, each with a number.
Among them, number 1 was particularly peculiar.
First, the parenthesis symbol itself in the message was different from the others.
It was similar to the message he saw right before entering the 6-star stage.
〈1. He has shown potential. Should we raise the growth limit of humanity?〉
He was the first of the four to express his opinion.
〈1. We don’t have time for small talk. We need to resolve this issue before that being wakes up. I’m in favor.〉
He was the most active in expressing his approval.
‘Number 1. This entity is the most likely one to have set up the scheme. Could it be the entity that brought me here?’
And one more inference.
Based on Jiphael’s words, there was a possibility that number 1 was a high-ranking angel.
Of course, this was not definitive information.
This was because there was not enough information to make a solid inference in the first place.
‘……Then 200 points and 100 points. This doesn’t seem like a coincidence either.’
Creating an Archer with Seo Yerim.
Assuming that all of that adds up to 300 points, it would make sense to get 100 points first and then 200 points.
But they gave him the points in reverse order.
‘Did they do that to match the exact discount rate for the job change ticket?’
Or maybe the only time they could offer the discount was then?
Looking at the results alone, he couldn’t say it was all bad.
Seo Yerim became a successful archer, and he got an achievement vending machine that he could keep using.
He decided to keep earning achievement points.
The things they sell at the shop are incredibly tempting.
Enough to make him willing to take the risk, even if there’s some kind of hidden agenda behind it.
“Have you finished thinking?”
“Why do you look so serious? You can’t even talk to me.”
“……It’s a bit complicated to talk about right now. I’ll explain it to you later.”
“Alright. Then, answer one of my questions in return. Is the Death Lord related to you in any way?”
“You can think of me as a kind of successor.”
“PoPo mentioned that SSS isn’t the top rank. Is that what you’re?”
“Yeah, that’s correct.”
He admitted it bluntly.
The Death Lord was a force that the hero party, even with all its weapons, couldn’t defeat.
It wasn’t a stretch to imagine him as something beyond SSS.
“Wow… I had a feeling. You didn’t seem like an S-rank at all.”
Just then, there was a knock on the hospital room door.
A security guard cautiously entered.
“Sir, it seems like the reporters have noticed you’re awake. Would you like to leave quietly?”
“No, let’s do an interview.”
It wasn’t something he could hide forever, no matter how hard he tried.
He had already made up his mind to make a big fuss in the world.
It was time to truly show his worth.
Minwoo glanced at Seo Yerim.
“Let’s go. Time for the interview.”
“…What should I say?”
“Now that you’re an archer, why not make a grand announcement? You can also mention joining our guild.”
“My grandfather will be surprised…”
“I’ll be there with you, so don’t worry. Let’s go.”
They exited the hospital room, and a barrage of cameras flashed as reporters crowded around them.
“Kim Minwoo! The public is eager to hear about the gate conquest. Could you give us a brief overview?”
Minwoo took the microphone and began to speak.
“Inside, it was a martial arts-themed world. The success of the conquest was split 50/50.”
“Fifty-fifty? What does that mean?”
The reporters were puzzled.
So, that means he contributed at the same level as the Sword of Justice.
Does that make sense?
As the reporters began to murmur in disbelief at the unbelievable story.
Seo Yerim, who was standing next to him, spoke up.
“Kim Minwoo’s statement is entirely true. I, the former Sword of Justice, guarantee it. Oh, I suppose I’m not a Sword of Justice anymore.”
She said, raising her bow.
“I am no longer a swordswoman. I’ve become an archer, and I joined the guild where this man is the guild master. A lot has changed, but my essence remains the same. I’ll continue to work hard. Thank you.”
A series of bombshell announcements left the reporters speechless.
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